Clinton waves goodbye to traditional dancers as she departs Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi en route to South Africa Sunday. No bees are evident in the photo. Jacquelyn Martin / AP

ID: 490729

Two local press reports say Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was driven into her plane by a swarm of bees on departing Malawi today — but the State Department downplayed the effects of what a spokeswoman said were “normal bees.”

[T]here was a mini panic at the international airport after bees thronged the area.

According to eye witnesses, scores of both Malawians and Americans including security agents scampered in different directions to take cover.

“There was a slight panic as the bees winged across the airport. People could be seen running away to keep cover as the Secretary of State swiftly boarded her plane to avoid any stings,” an eye witness told Nyasa Times.